Bad Blonde (1953)

A scheming blonde seduces a fighter and convinces him to murder her husband, a fight manager.

Director:

Reginald Le Borg

Writers:

Max Catto (novel), Guy Elmes (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Payton, Frederick Valk, John Slater

Cast

Cast overview:
Barbara Payton	...	Lorna Vecchi
Frederick Valk	...	Giuseppe Vecchi
John Slater	...	Charlie Sullivan
Sidney James	...	Sharkey
Tony Wright	...	Johnny Flanagan
Marie Burke	...	Mother Vecchi
Selma Vaz Dias	...	Mrs. Corelli - Vecchi's Sister
Enzo Coticchia	...	Mr. Corelli

Storyline

The film opens at a carnival with two barkers calling for onlookers to enter the tent where an audience member will fight one of the professional boxers. In a setup, a trained amateur boxer takes the ring and knocks out one of the pros. The boxer, Johnny Flanigan played by Tony Wright, impresses the carnival promoters such that they take young Flanigan under their wings in an attempt to launch a comeback into prizefighting. Enter Giuseppe Vecchi a wealthy Italian with the connections to back the fighter. Flanigan's future looks promising until he meets Giuseppe's wife Lorna Vecchi. Lorna, played by Barbara Payton, married her rich and doting husband when he owned a club where she was a dancer. She's a true trophy wife all too eager to show her displeasure at her jovial husband's eccentricities. The first time Flanigan lays eyes on Lorna it's clear he is ripe for seduction. And seduction is clearly on Lorna's mind, evident as she licks her lips while her eyes scan Flanigan's shirtless,...

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Plot Keywords:

blonde | british noir | husband wife relationship | seduction | affair | 

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Taglines:

Sure, I accept favors from men!

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title character goads the young fighter, who doesn't want her to watch him fighting, telling his trainers, "Maybe he doesn't like women," eluding to homosexuality, which wouldn't have passed code in America.

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Connections

Referenced in Berlin - Ecke Schönhauser (1957)

User Reviews

One bad blonde and one good blond

I saw this under its alternate title "Bad Blonde." Though Barbara Payton is billed before the title, I was confused: Yes, the actress had quite a reputation. She had life that was messy and ultimately very sad. It was more sordid and more interesting than the tabloid girls of today.

And the character she played was bad, to be sure. Yet, the movie makes much more sense under its original title: It's primarily about the character played by Tony Wright. Ms. Payton wears some alluring costumes but we hardly ever see Wright with his shirt on. When he's not boxing, he's swimming.

It's a sad story. Sort of a film noir, yes. But we feel bad for the basically decent people who are trampled on because of others' greed and desires. Frederick Valk is excellent as Giuseppi, the man drawn into representing the title character in his fight career.

The plot reminded me, particularly in his character, of Tennessee Williams" "Orpheus Descending." An interesting movie, if ultimately not an especially good one.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

10 April 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bad Blonde

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films, Lippert Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1